BUTTERFLY COLLECTING IN INDIA. 505 
8. Ifa butterfly flaps about in a lazy fashion, it is probably more immune 
from dangers than those that have a rapid flight or seek cover rapidly. This 
brings us to the interesting subject of mimicry and in India we have some of the 
most striking examples in the world. Now the Danaids are probably the most 
‘highly protected family and we find that the female of a common Satyrid and a 
Nymphalid resemble a certain common Danaid almost exactly, though the males 
iin each ease are totally different. Again among the swallowtails the red-bodied 
group are highly offensive and we find that certain females of the black-bodied 
-group resemble them exactly except for the colour of the bodies. Again among 
-the Euplea genus ot the distasteful Danaid family there is a marvellously close 
vesemblance between species inhabiting the same area ; in South India for in- 
-stance the only three members of the genus are so alike that somewhat of an ex- 
pert is required to distinguish between them. The reason for this latter form of 
-so-called mimicry is stated to be that the young enemy has to learn by sad ex- 
‘perience what is distasteful and what is palatable ; so he starts by sampling 
everything that comes along and soon learns to distinguish the nasty from the 
tasty ; thus the nasty group are likely to lose fewer individuals if they present 
the same general appearance to the former. Yorthe same reason itis an 
advantage for a distasteful butterfly to be coloured conspicuously ; it is 
thus able to warn the enemy that it should be left alone. 
9. The observer will soon notice that a large number of butterflies, more 
particularly the inhabitants of jungles or undergrowth, are marked in a peculiarly 
veryptic fashion on the underside and that, when at rest, they are so assimilated 
to their surroundings as to be practically invisible. Many of them are wonder- 
iully coloured above and cannot fail to attract attention but, when they alight, 
they seem to disappear. The iamous “ Leaf” butterfly can be cited as one of 
‘the most striking examples ; the upperside bears a broad yellow or blue band, 
-while the underside almost exactly resembles a dried leaf. The tails of a butter- 
fly are considered to be an important life saving device and certainly they do not 
seem to be much use for anything else : the hind wings project well beyond the 
body and just before the tail there is an eye ; the idea is that the enemy thinks 
that the hinder end is the head with the prominent eyes and that the tails are 
the antenne ; he makes his dart, but the butterfly flies cheerfully away minus 
‘this tails the loss of which do not worry him at all, but of course he will not 
escape so easily again. Several theories have been propounded to explain the 
-mystery of mimicry ; to me the whole subject remains an absolute mystery and 
‘I can safely assert that a great deal more observation work is needed before any- 
-one can produce a theory that will convince the man in the street. I cannot 
‘believe that a butterfly has been abl2 to perfect the art of camouflage, as he 
vundoubtedly has done, by means of his own unaided intelligence. 
10. Bound up with mimicry is the question as to what are the enemies of 
butterflies and here again much observation is needed. 1 think that the princi- 
pal enemies are lizards, as far as the butterfly is concerned, but there are undoubt- 
edly many others. I have seen a kingcrow making a good meal off butterflies on 
-the wing, and a bush containing a praying mantis is often marked by num2rous 
butterfly wings strewn below it. In the earlier stages the enemies are probably 
“much more numerous, and birds in particular eat the caterpillars very freely ; 
vmany of us as schoolboys have been bitterly disappointed to find an ichneumon 
‘fly emerge from a chrysalis we have carefully reared. 
11. Butterflies share with all other living beings the strong natural tendency 
‘to enlarge their sphere of action, but certain species are known to indulge in 
‘the most extensive migrations. Certain Pierids (the Catopsilias) are in India 
the most persistent emigrants. They can sometimes be seen in great herds 
«treking in a straight line over hills and plains at a pretty constant speed. Cer- 
tain other species often join in the migrations. A common blue (Lampides 
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